Zoe stood there on her tail and blushing a bit as she looked to Mother and siblings with one eye and then to Maize with her other eye. It represented some embarrassment and surprise at the overall situation. She was surprised that Maize's crush on her was still there, but at the same time, she was also finding that as a Slug Woman, there was some element of Maize's crush that Zoe now felt some urge to return. It was surprising, but acceptable given that Slug Women were all hermaphrodites. Zoe privately expected something like that would happen, she just didn't expect it to come so quick and with her best friend from high school. However, the part of her that was embarrassed was the part that knew that her siblings didn't know that Maize was a lesbian and that Maize had had a crush on her since high school.
"Sorry, Mrs. Chapman," Maize said to Whitney, "I didn't mean to hold you all up... I'd volunteer to go along and help, but mom needs me on the farm."
"It is ultimately no problem," Whitney gave a warm and an approving smile, which Zoe noticed, "and Jeff and I were getting some help from your mom with some questions that we needed. And given the threat that Cupple poses... it'd probably be smarter that you stay with your mother on the farm until we can get the information that will be needed to defeat him. And with what we have... we do need to get going."
"Thank you," Maize said and came forward, kissing Zoe on the cheek, "and I can wait."
"Come along, Zoe," Whitney urged, "Heloise did give us some information that helps and might be of use if one of the other churches has someone on hand that understands more on how all this sorcery works..."
Zoe slowly nodded and began to follow along after her mother with Jeff being a bit behind Whitney to Zoe's right and with Lucy to Zoe's left. Grace slid along right next to Zoe, and they all resumed the more eastward route to the protestant church that they'd been headed to when they first ran into the Grenzes. Zoe remained quiet for a few moments and then noted Jeff and Lucy turning one eye around behind them. It was an odd thing to see, but between noting Grace's transformation and knowing that at times, Zoe would move her own eyes at the tips of their stalks independently, it was also something that Zoe was getting used to.
"So... you and Maize?" Jeff asked, his tone at least partially humorous.
"Maybe now..." Zoe said slowly, "I mean... unless defeating Cupple results in us turning back into humans again."
"Which is unlikely," Grace said slowly, "but..."
"She always was working out with you when we were in high school," Lucy said slowly, her tone also a bit humorous, in that she was teasing. Though a part of Lucy's tone was also curious. "Is that why you accepted... or..."
"She asked me," Zoe answered, "and there's nothing wrong with that!"
"So... why hide it?" Jeff asked, "we wouldn't turn on you or her."
"I didn't hide anything," Zoe answered, "no one ever asked... and I didn't think I needed to just reveal it without reason. Particularly when you're all ready to tease me now that you've found out about Maize's crush..."
There was a bit of a silence for a moment as they slid along. Zoe noted that Lucy and Jeff lowered the eye stalk that was looking to Zoe a little bit as they moved along.
"And besides... Lucy, Grace," Zoe continued, "you both must know that as hermaphrodites we do not necessarily need an explicitly male mate to get pregnant. A male Slug Person might be more "potent" as Megan and Jenny put it... but they're still rare. That's going to mean some instinctive changes that come with that transformation that we've all gone through."
"Assuming we transform our mates," Lucy huffed.
"And how do you know that won't happen accidentally?" Zoe asked back pointedly, "all of this is still new... and at times all the things that has been reported with Slug People have been there. Shoot, we all saw that to a degree there with the Grenzes. At first they wanted to think we were ALWAYS Slug People."
"Which is part of the subconscious magic around Slug People," Grace said slowly, "though... the transformation aspect is one of the few things where Slug People can provide more active "magic." You'd have to actively will the person you're in contact with to transform them."
"It wouldn't change the potential orientation a Slug Woman would have though," Zoe argued.
"True," Grace nodded, "particularly given the high libido that Slug People were created to have. And thus, as Slug Women, we would be drawn to both males and females. And why Megan and Jenny were so sex focused in trying to get into the mom's bedroom while trying to complete our transformations."
"But they wanted Jeff," Lucy pointed out.
"They would have preferred Jeff," Grace corrected, "but they'd take each of us as Slug Women if Jeff wasn't available... or if Jeff became a Slug Woman as well."
"And you're willing to act on those new instincts?" Lucy asked to Zoe, "if they are new."
"They are new..." Zoe said firmly and lifted up the end of her tail and slapped it down on the sidewalk to use the "splat" for added emphasis, "and would there be anything wrong with it? Maize was always a good friend... my best friend... and well... who do really think that most human men are going to go for a Slug Woman?"
"Not many," Jeff said slowly, looking over to Lucy and getting the sense that the jokes, even if only small ones, were in bad taste.
"Is that what caused Maize to have a crush on you?" Grace asked, "that the two of you always hung out?"
"And got along so well... yes," Zoe answered, "and in high school, it was quite flattering, but I was straight and human. But we agreed to remain friends, and Maize was mature about it. Thus, she caused no trouble and nothing to worry about. But now... now that I'm a Slug Woman... that new drive was there, and what made us good friends added to that."
"And there's nothing wrong with that," Whitney spoke, "and if you and Maize were truly that close emotionally... it may be better for you than some other partnership because it's deemed "normal," if you know what I mean."
Zoe nodded with a small smile.
"Yeah," Lucy answered, "there is nothing wrong with that... Jeff and I... we were only teasing and didn't mean anything serious."
"I'm sure," Zoe answered, "but it's going to be a reminder that these things will be there for you too."
"Well... if I end up going for a woman, hopefully she'll let me be me," Lucy answered as some tensions lowered and they continued on the way to the next church.